The Picture of Dorian Gray – Review

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

First published in 1891; 2008 Penguin Classics edition

Pages: 213

Genre: Philosophical novel, English literature

“The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden there came through the open door the heavy scent of lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.”

High class intrigue and the virtues of vice are among many subjects covered in Oscar Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. A tragic tale of beauty, its merits, and corruption, the novel follows the life of eponymous character Dorian Gray. One day, the young man makes a Faustian request that entwines his fate with that of his portrait, and brings him into situations and deeds that make the loftier classes blush.

The story begins in the studio of Basil Hallward; he is in the process of describing the young man that he has been painting a portrait of to his friend, Lord Henry. Lord Henry then goes on to wax philosophical about society, art, people, and culture (you better get used to this; philosophical statements and discussions abound). As if summoned by the mention of his name, Dorian Gray makes his entrance and describes his friendship with Basil, who is enamored with Dorian. Upon completion of his portrait, the 20-year-old Dorian sees the beauty of his artificial image and wishes that it would age instead of him.

Dorian soon falls in love with a young actress named Sibyl Vane, who is the star of the stage in a local theater troupe. However, she can’t act when she is in true love and, when her performance falls flat in front of Dorian’s friends, he viciously rebuffs her. Thrown into grief, she commits suicide and Dorian notices that his portrait now has lines of cruelty around his smile; the sins he commits will not mar his aspect, but that of his painting.

Dorian’s debaucheries go on for years as he gives in to vices and unsavory behavior that tarnishes his reputation, but he remains physically youthful and unblemished. Dorian becomes paranoid of someone finding his portrait, despite the fact that it is an unrecognizable caricature of him now, and he locks it away due to his constant fear of its discovery. After eighteen years of committing social sins and ruining the reputations of many high class associates, he finally takes a life after revealing his secret. It is this mortal sin that is Dorian’s undoing.

As anyone who has read or seen one of Wilde’s plays will attest, his writing is fraught with the paradox of opposites: a couple of examples come as characters state that simple pleasures are for complex people, and that philanthropists lose their humanity. Much of the book consists of people sitting around criticizing society in the 19th century, which cannot do much besides come off as Wilde venting his frustrations and opinions of the time in which he lived. There are also a lot of references to figures and works from classical western literature to the point that my copy is filled with footnote markers.

Wilde does excel at elegant descriptions of the small details in his settings, and he refers to characters by their full names when tagging speech, which was something that stood out to me; though it could be a holdover from his time writing plays. I was rather disappointed by the abrupt end to the story; there is a lack of formal/classical narrative structure and there is no real explanation as to why or how the painting ages instead of Dorian. Though this might detract from the review, and I haven’t looked to see if there is any connection, I found that some aspects of the novel reminded me of the film American Psycho (2000); the protagonist kills and does other terrible things, but is unable to receive justice for his actions. One significant difference in plot, however, is that Dorian does meet a fitting end.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is an interesting look into the social strata and ideas of 19th century England. The characters speak a very specific way and live a singular lifestyle that causes the events in the novel to have credence in reality (magical aging portrait not withstanding). Though the novel has an interesting premise, it is bogged down by rambling discussions of morality and philosophy alongside its hasty ending and unexplained plot point. I think there is value in reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, if only to see what doesn’t necessarily work in a novel and how it is different from writing for the stage or screen.

Verdict: 3 philosophical ramblings about vices out of 5

Recommended for: Fans of Oscar Wilde, people who want to read a novel by a playwright, those who like paradoxes, philosophers, people interested in the lives of 19th century gentry, those who enjoy English literature, and people who really like the word “tremulous”.

Not recommended for: The easily bored, the lower class of the 19th century, Basil Hallward, Sibyl Vane, Dorian Gray, homophobes, people who don’t want to read a novel by a playwright, those who dislike hypocrisy, or those who dislike reading an author’s philosophical rants.

I liked this book quite a bit. However, I listened to it, and did so while on a rather long road trip. The reader’s performance was excellent, and the mundane nature of the drive probably made it very easy to focus on the novel.
Even so, I would agree that the ending is a touch abrupt. The lack of explanation didn’t bother me in the least. However, chapter 11 did–the one that chronicles Dorian’s interest in the arts, or something like that. It seemed to go on forever, and moved (I felt) far, FAR beyond the point of adding anything to the story.
I agree with your assertion that it ought to be read. It is strange enough, and good enough, and curiously not-good enough, to justify the time.

It definitely straddles the line between genius and mediocrity; I feel conflicted because there is a lot to like, but also a lot that falls short for me. I think Wilde’s writing truly shines on the stage rather than on the page, so that could be part of my issue since I really enjoyed The Importance of Being Earnest.

I read this as a teenager and I think from all classics I read (or tried to read) back then I enjoyed it most. Even with all the philosophy, it was still less wordy and stiff than Dickens (or even Jane Austen). But I guess a lot of stuff also went right over my head. I really should re-read this to see what I think of it now.

I also read it as a teenager and definitely had a similar experience. I will say that I did enjoy Dickens more, but Austen is one of my least favorite authors because of how dry her writing comes off. Thank you for reading!

I’ve been meaning to read this book. I really enjoyed reading your review! Your review actually made me want to read this book more. I’m curious to see how my opinion of The Picture of Dorian Gray will be! 🙂

I loathed this book. This from your review sums up most of why: Though the novel has an interesting premise, it is bogged down by rambling discussions of morality and philosophy alongside its hasty ending and unexplained plot point. but I also couldn’t find any sympathy for the characters.

I think there is a reason that this is Wilde’s only novel, and I hesitate to use the term. It definitely seems a veiled critique on the society and, as such, paints many characters as less than identifiable. I’m glad I reread it because I labored under the idea that it was one of my favorites from when I read it oh so many years ago.

Wonderful and thought provoking review! I haven’t read The Picture of Dorian Gray since I was a teenager, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t fully appreciate the philosophical aspects of it then. This might have to be a re-read for me, especially considering how much I loved The Importance of Being Earnest.

Thank you! I know a lot of the philosophy went over my head when I first read it, so it was nice to revisit with a new perspective. I, too, love The Importance of Being Earnest, and the wit is still present despite the problematic execution. Let me know if you re-read it and what you think!